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A man is silhouetted against a video screen with an Facebook logo as he poses with an Samsung smartphone in this photo illustration taken in August 2013.

Want to Message on Facebook? Soon You'll Need a Separate App

By Devin Coldewey

Facebook confirmed Wednesday that it plans to remove messaging capability from its mobile app, and offer the function only via the separate Facebook Messenger app.

Removing a major feature from one of the most popular apps in the world seems an extreme step, but the company made it very clear: "To continue sending messages on mobile, people will need to install the Messenger app," explained a Facebook spokesperson.

DADO RUVIC / Reuters file

The move may delight some and disappoint others. The Messenger app certainly offers a better messaging experience, but it is also a separate app, with separate settings and a different interface. People who only occasionally use Facebook messaging may consider it an inconvenience to add yet another icon to their crowded screens.

"A handful of countries in Europe" are seeing the update already, but expect a few warnings on this side of the pond before the hammer drops. In the meantime, if you use the messaging function of the Facebook app a lot, now might be a good time to familiarize yourself with Messenger.

First published April 9 2014, 2:07 PM

Devin Coldewey

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer at NBC News; he started his role in April of 2013. Coldewey is responsible for original reporting on a number of tech topics, such as photography, biotechnology, and Internet policy.

Coldewey joined NBCNews.com from TechCrunch, where he was an editor covering a similarly wide variety of content and industries. His personal website is coldewey.cc.